Grain-drier.



PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

.1. R. BROOKS. GRAIN DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26.1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WE me. e s. K

No.- 861,354. PATENTBD JULY 30, 1907..

' J. R. BROOKS.

GRAIN DRIER.

APPLIOATION I'I LED SBPT. 26,1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

J. R. BROOKS.

GRAIN DRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 26. 1906.

4.SHEETSSHEET 3.

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I fflzmzz/ 4% PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

J. R. BROOKS.

GRAIN DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26. 1906.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT ossrc JOSEPH R. BROOKS, OF. CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

TO M. FORD, or

GRAIN-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

. Application filed September 26,1906. Serial- No.336,232.

,county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful'l mp'rovements in Grain-Driers, of which the following is a specification.

'The object of this invention is to produce a graindrier of a type that may be safely used in buildings not of fireproof construction, and adapted to dry grain veryuniformly and thoroughly, preparatory to grinding or hulling. a

In the preparation of grain for milling, particularly oats, barley, etc., one of the essential, but difficult operations is to dry it perfectly. If all the grain is fully dried, some of the grains are likely to be scorched, and this is especiallytrue wherejthe grain is dried in pans, or in other types of driers in which there is a considerable body of grain exposed to the high heat of a metal surface, and the grains in contact with such surface are not suificiently agitated, and so are burned,

while the rest of the grain is only dried, more or less imperfectly. Of course this produces an inferior grade of grain, it'being impracticable to eliminate the scorched kernels. It is with a'view to overcoming these difficulties that the subject matter of this application has been devised, and the same is fully disclosed in the description and claims following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- s Figure 1 is a side view of a drier embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is the same asseen from the right hand end of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line a b of Fig. 5, looking to the left. Fig. 4 is a section on the line a d, looking in the same direction.

Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in section in different planes, showing one of the complete units, i which twelve are illustrated in Fig. 2, -thissingle drier being broken inthe middle, however, the better to show the essential features of the invention. Fig. 6 illustrates diagrammatically a drier on the same principle, but using furnace heat instead of electric Heating coils. Fig. 7 is a central section of the drive for the drying cylinder, and a'fragment of the cylinder.

The invention is most completely illustrated in Fig. 5, but for large productiveness is best organized in gangs or batteries, as'shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This may be easily done by adding unit to unit, vertically or horizontally, or in both directions, as will appear from the description following, and by reference to the drawings.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the drier is shown mounted ,in a frame 1, forming the base section. This is provided with lateral arms 2 by which it may be bolted to a superior unit 3, having similar arms. From the ends of these arms depend lugs 4, by which the units may be bolted together in horizontal order, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These frame castings are formed with annular flanges 5 to take the ends of the drier jacket 6 on their inner sides. The similar ou'ter flanges of alternate castings take hoods 7, to the bottoms of which are connected pipes or spouts 8 leading to a drier drum, to be described presently. From the upper portions of these hoods run a series of converging pipes 9 leading to an exhaust fan .10, the purpose of these pipes and fan being 'to carry off the steam and vapor arising from the damp grain in the process of drying.

The internal mechanism of the drier is best shown in Fig. 5. The jacket 6, already referred to, is for the purpose of confining and. conserving the heat within and in close proximity to the driers. As herein illustrated it comprises an inner and an outer shell of sheet metal and an' interposed packing of some suitable non-conductor of heat, such as asbestos or mineral wool. The cylindrical jacket is held in place by rods 11 (Fig. 1).

The preferred method of imparting heat to the drier is by electric coils l2ymounted on suitable earthen or porcelain tubes 13, and mounted in gangs between metal rings 14 of practically thejouter diameter of the inside of the jacket. k Therings and tubes are all held in place by rods 15, as shown. The terminals of the coils pass out through the jacket, and 'are suitably connected up electrically in the conduits 16 and junction boxes 17, an illustrative set of which is shown in Fig. 1, it being understood that each unit of the drier is similarly equipped. Current is derived from any suitable source of electrical energy, not shown. I

Inside the jacket and the circle ofheating coils is mounted the revoluble grain conveyor, through which the grain passes while exposed to the surrounding heat.

The conveyer comprises a cylinder 18 and an internal spiral 19 attached to 'it. At intervals, between the wings of the spiral, cleats 20 are attached to the inside of ,the cylinder. .These cleats render it impossible for any of the grain to remain long in one position, and pre-' vent any tendency of the grain to seek the bottom of the cylinder simply slide as it revolves. Extending from wing to wing of the spiral, the cleats carry every grain up from the bottom, and as the mass moves from endto end of the cylinder every grain is repeatedly lifted from the position of greater or less exposure to scorching, carried part way up the rising side of the cylinder, and overturned. This thorough agitation of the lugs 30 formed on the frame castings. The shafts are provided with sprockets 31 at the outer ends, an'd are driven by sprocket chains 32, in the simple manner' shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 7 the track-ring and gear-ring are shown integral. The ring is madelarge enough inside to clear the rivet-heads of the cylinder, and shimmed up with space-blocks 33. The drum is best formed in a spiral, conforming to the pitch of the spiral inside.

I Fig. 6 represents a battery of driers inclosed in a rectangular, non-conductihg casing 34, of substantially the.

same construction as the jacket already described, Horizontal partitions 35, of the same material, are arranged in alternate order with respect to regulating dampers 36. Heat from any suitable source is drawn through the drier by a suction fan 37.

Aside from the advantages already noted, it is evi dent that the close jacketing oi the drier tends to effect the highest economy in the consumption of fuel, and

that the general construction is such as to make the apparatus practically safe in a building of almost any sort. It will also be evident that the amount of heat may be very nicely and accurately regulated to meet all conditions, particularly in the case of the preferred type shown, using electric heating apparatus.

In addition to the heat-retaining jacket already described, annular rings 38 are provided to close the ansenses nular openings at each end. These are of substantially the same construction as the jacket.

i It will be noted that the arrangement of the'stack of driers is alternative, the discharging end of one conveyer being just below the receiving end of the one above. Theconveyers preferably all revolve in the same direction, and in this case the spirals of alternate conveyers are pitched in opposite directions, as indicated by Figs. 4 and 5.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an organized grain-drier, the combination '6: a group of drying units, each of which comprises a revolving ,conveyer through \vhichihe grain passes, a non-conducting shell inclosing the conveyer, and a frame adapted to sunport both the conveyer and the shell, the frames of the several units being adapted for indefinite extension of the system by bolting to each other laterally or vertically.

2. In a graindri'er, the combination of a revolving conveyer, through which the grain passes in drying, stationary inc-losing shell of non-conducting material surrounding the'conveyer, and electrical heating coils mounted between the conveyer and the shell, and adapted for connection with a source of electrical energy, substantially as described. I

In a graimdrier, the combination of a series of superimposed grain-drying units, each comprising a grain-conveyer through which the grain passes from end to end, a

heat-retaining inclosure for each conveyer, means for. re

volving the conveyers, and for imparting heat to said inclosures, grain-pipes leading from the discharging end ot one conveyer to the receiving end of the one next lower, alternately, pipesto carry the steam and vapor from said conveyer and inclosures, and a suction fan therefor, suhstantially'as set forth.'

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH R. BROOKS.

Witnesses W. E. YESSLER, J. M, St. JOHN. 

